Gena Withrow

As of late November, fully immunized travelers who've stayed at least 21 days within one of the 53 approved low-riskrisk countries and territories -- including the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, India, and Switzerland -- can avoid the long awaited hotel quarantine for the fist time in over eighteen months. This is good news, especially considering the recent outbreak of travelers' diarrhea, or dysentery, which has killed several people in recent weeks. But why is travel to America so risky? And why is travel to Asia so much safer?

Travel to America is no longer considered a risk-free travel proposition. Whether it's a business trip, a vacation or a reunion with friends, travel to America requires careful planning and protection. First and foremost, travel to America require protection from the elements. Virtually all of North America - from Alaska to Mexico to Texas - is susceptible to cold, heat, drought, snow, and rainfall. Traveling during these conditions requires preparations to protect against the perils these weather conditions pose to travelers.

The only exception to this general rule is to travel to Hawaii, which is protected due to an official policy called H Visa, or "Himalayan Immigration Visa." Those travelers traveling to other areas of the Americas need a visa to travel to Hawaii, but they are otherwise safe. A traveler to any other area of North America should be conscientious about his or her vaccinations prior to departure. For example, a traveler lacking a Hepatitis A vaccination upon arrival in Canada would likely be denied entry to the U.S. and could face a possible fine or imprisonment.

Like many other Asian nations, Singapore takes special precautions to protect its travelers. A recent travel article in the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the mandatory vaccination of children entering the country. A similar article in the Bangkok Post (BTK) mentioned the fact that a significant percentage of travelers to Singapore require Hepatitis A vaccination upon arrival. This article goes into more detail on the requirement for Hepatitis A vaccination for travelers to Singapore.

A travel article in the Thailand Times (THT) reported on an incident last month in Bangkok involving a Chinese national who was attempting to enter Thailand via the rail track. According to the article, a border police officer was called by the train operator and approached the man. The man produced no proof of immunization upon arrival, did not announce his Hepatitis A status nor did he carry proof of vaccination for Thailand. The officer arrested the man for trespassing and fined him $500. This case is just one example of the hazards many travelers face when attempting to enter the country via train.

Travel to Asia requires travelers to have a passport and some form of immunization. The travel advisories published by the World Health Organization (WHO) advises travelers to obtain Hepatitis A vaccinations on arrival and to consult a doctor for further testing if the symptoms occur. WHO also publishes travel precautions for pregnant women and children, which advise them to seek immediate medical attention if they become sick or have complications from travel to Asia. Some countries in Asia, such as Thailand, have special child-care facilities to care for babies diagnosed with Hepatitis A. However, this disease spreads easily among adults and therefore any American traveling to Asia should consider Hepatitis A vaccination and other Hepatitis A activities.

An embassy in Thailand offering travel to Asia has recently removed mention of Hepatitis A from its travel advisory webpage, citing a lack of evidence of the disease. The Bangkok Times reports that the embassy only removed the language referring to Hepatitis A once all other references were removed. On its travel advisory page, the embassy wrote: " Embassy Thailand plans to remove the reference of Hepatitis A from our travel advisory due to insufficient evidence regarding the disease. Thailand is currently the name of the country of origin of Hepatitis A." Embassy Thailand did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Travelers infected with Hepatitis A can still travel to other parts of the world, but they must first return to their home country and receive a Hepatitis A vaccination. For /xn--72c5ab8bza6azdwe3cf.cc travelers outside of Asia, it is important to remember that Hepatitis A vaccine recipients are not permitted to travel to certain regions of Asia. Instead, they must have access to healthcare professionals in those regions, such as health clinics and hospitals, to receive care. Anyone not properly trained in Hepatitis A infection cannot be expected to effectively treat patients with this disease.